Shadowing Practice: The illusion that broken the internet - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
C1
Which of these faces appears angrier to you?
201 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Which of these faces appears angrier to you?
2
The one on the left or the one on the right?
3
Try to comment your answer before looking at anybody else's and go with your gut.
4
These faces caused quite a stir when we shared them on social media,
5
but it turns out that one of them is way more likely to be chosen.
6
Because of the way your brain is split neurologically,
7
it's the right side that processes the visual field you see on the left,
8
and the left side of your brain that processes the visual field on the right.
9
But the right side of your brain also contains the area involved in both facial recognition and the recognition of emotions.
10
And because of that, your brain is better at processing
11
and understanding emotions on the side of the face in your left visual field.
12
As a result, the majority of people will see this face on the left as angrier.
13
Because even though the faces are simply mirror images,
14
your emotional recognition is able to process this side of the face more easily.
15
Now, of course, some of you may feel the opposite,
16
which says something interesting about you,
17
but before we get to that,
18
take a look at this soccer goal.
19
I want you to take note of its speed and power.
20
Now, I'm gonna play another version of it and you tell me which one you think was faster.
21
As in, in which clip is the ball moving faster than the other.
22
I'll play the first one again.
23
And here's the second one again.
24
If you said the first one felt faster,
25
you're more likely from a culture that reads from left to right.
26
And if you said the second one,
27
you're more likely from a culture that reads from right to left.
28
Of course, you might have said that they were both the same speed and just flip videos and you'd be right,
29
But studies have shown that your culture and your upbringing implicate how you perceive the world.
30
For example, Arabic speakers are more likely to interpret right-to-left goals as stronger,
31
faster, and more beautiful than left-to-right ones,
32
whereas Italians see it the opposite way.
33
Your brain is always working with your history and context to shape your perception.
34
Like, listen to this audio.
35
It was a sunny day as a short of a girl used to talk.
36
What did you hear?
37
Chances are it mostly sounded like jumbled up noises with a faint hint of some words in there, potentially.
38
Your brain is hard at work trying to predict and understand it,
39
but now listen to this.
40
It was a sunny day and the children were going to the park.
41
After hearing this sentence, we can go back and listen to the original and it will sound completely different.
42
It was a sunny day and the children were going to the park.
43
Because your brain has more information,
44
it can make accurate predictions and sense of what it's hearing.
45
Speaking of information, did you know that
46
if I put an object into your hand while blindfolded that your left hand would actually be better at discerning it?
47
Because touch and spatial tasks have a strong role in the right hemisphere,
48
studies show people are better at comparing shapes and objects in their left hand,
49
and you're likely to understand that shape better in your mind compared to if you were using your right hand.
50
Now imagining things in your mind is a special brain task and I want you to use it to picture an apple.
51
What do you see?
52
It can be with your eyes open or closed,
53
but I want to know what happens for you when I say imagine an apple in your mind.
54
Is it a vivid image of an apple,
55
as real as seeing it in real life with its texture and imperfections,
56
or maybe it's a less detailed version of an apple,
57
or for some of you it may even just be an outline
58
or a vague idea of what an apple could look like.
59
Turns out that for around 4% of people, they see nothing.
60
Literally.
61
They are not able to conjure images in their mind on demand.
62
In fact, a lot of people with this condition don't even realize they have it
63
because they don't know that when people say picture something in your mind,
64
they mean it literally.
65
The condition is called aphantasia and it's one of the most fascinating things.
66
But before we dive deeper into that and even more mind-boggling illusions,
67
let's talk about something that everyone can perceive with today's sponsor,
68
Henson, and that is a good shave.
69
Let's be honest, most razors are kind of a scam,
70
like cheap plastic, five-blade contraptions,
71
endless subscription models, we've tried them all.
72
They work just enough to pass,
73
but they're like not actually good,
74
and they definitely don't last.
75
Which is why I switched to the Henson razor.
76
It is literally made in an aerospace machine shop.
77
Like the same place that made parts for a Mars rover.
78
So it is in fact precise,
79
but it's the results that are the most impressive.
80
Henson actually teamed up with medical imaging companies to measure skin irritation.
81
Not just guess, but actually measure.
82
Their razor showed significantly less erythema,
83
or redness and razor burn,
84
compared to leading multi-blade drugstore razors.
85
And they're building what might be the first clinical baseline of its kind for shaving which as a science nerd,
86
I obviously think is pretty cool.
87
See, most of their razors flex and bend and do a lot of tugging,
88
especially as the blade wears out.
89
Henson does the opposite.
90
Their blade is held rigid,
91
no flex, no gimmicks, just a single blade that glides through hair without tearing up your skin.
92
It's engineered with a 30 degree shave angle,
93
and the blade only extends 0.0013 inches,
94
which is like 0.03 millimeters.
95
Yeah, that's thinner than a human hair.
96
It's one of those upgrades that feels minor until you try it,
97
and then you're wondering like,
98
why did we put up for worse for so long?
99
You can visit hensonshaving.com slash ASAP
100
or use the code ASAP at checkout to get 100 free blades with the purchase of a razor.
101
Just make sure both items are in your cart for the coat to take effect.
102
Now, back to how your mind works.
103
Studies show that humans tend to fall on a scale of visualization,
104
but how do we know what's actually going on in somebody else's mind?
105
Like, how do we know we're not all seeing the exact same thing,
106
but just describing it differently?
107
Well, when a person with aphantasia is asked to visualize something on command during a brain scan,
108
the visual parts of the brain don't activate in the same way as somebody with typical visualization.
109
But something even more peculiar is that there is a way to trigger this brain activity in aphantasia,
110
and that is with dreams.
111
When we look at the brain of somebody dreaming,
112
even when they have aphantasia,
113
these visual areas light up,
114
and they activate in basically the same way as a typical person's brain.
115
Conversely, if you're reading an interesting or exciting book,
116
the average person begins to sweat.
117
Not like noticeably sweat, but if we're measuring you in a lab,
118
we'll be able to pick up perspiration.
119
Whereas people with aphantasia don't have this sweat response at all.
120
Likely because they're not conjuring the imagery that is in turn creating the body's response.
121
Now, if you're just finding out that you have aphantasia or that you fall on the lower end of the visual spectrum,
122
don't stress, this is all just part of the normal range of human experience.
123
In fact, aphantasia may be protective against certain mental disorders that are linked to negative imagery like PTSD.
124
What's also really fascinating to me is
125
that people with a fantasia are more likely to work in STEM fields while those with hyper fantasia,
126
people who are really good at visualizing,
127
are more likely to work in the arts.
128
Speaking of visualizing apples, what color is this one?
129
You likely said red despite the fact that it's actually gray,
130
but your brain has a theory about apples
131
and what color they should be and
132
so your brain projects those ideas as opposed to accurately predicting the pixels on the screen.
133
Kind of like if I show you this picture.
134
Some of it's missing, and while you may not be conscious of it,
135
if we put your brain into an MRI scanner right now,
136
it would be lighting up in areas associated with the blanks,
137
predicting and filling in the rest of the image.
138
This reminds me a lot of the height of COVID,
139
when you would meet a lot of people for the first time wearing masks,
140
like you didn't actually know what their face looked like,
141
and when you eventually saw it for the first time,
142
it would be extremely trippy.
143
Because you didn't didn't know their face,
144
your brain was making a whole bunch of assumptions and predictions about how they looked,
145
and once you actually saw the real thing,
146
it likely didn't match those predetermined expectations.
147
Now take a look at these faces.
148
Can you tell me what emotion they are expressing?
149
Do they look distressed and upset?
150
Because all of them are actually faces of happiness.
151
But without proper context, it's difficult for your brain to accurately predict their emotions.
152
It's something you would expect humans should be really good at,
153
but it turns out that face shape and contortions aren't always enough without more context and cues.
154
When you look at this tennis player,
155
you can see her happy in one moment after winning a point and disappointed in the other after losing one,
156
but this is the exact same face superimposed on both bodies.
157
your brain fills in the emotion based on the body posture.
158
Your mind really is good at filling in information without you knowing.
159
Take a look at this ticking clock for example.
160
I want you to look away for a few seconds and then look back.
161
I'll count you in to look back.
162
Ready?
163
3, 2, 1, look.
164
When you first look back at the ticking hand,
165
did it feel like the first tick was a tiny bit longer than the others?
166
It turns out when you move your eyes from point A to point B quickly,
167
your brain doesn't actually take in the information in between.
168
it takes the image from point B and back fills that gap.
169
So once your eyes land on the clock,
170
your brain tells you that the image has been stable since it left the last spot,
171
and as a result, that first tick can often feel longer than the rest.
172
But even with static eyes,
173
brain scans show about a 400 millisecond gap between when your unconscious brain processes information and when your conscious mind receives it.
174
Your consciousness is kind of like a film,
175
which seems continuous, but it's really made up of a series of 24 frames in every second.
176
Ultimately, your consciousness is just pieces of information that have been filtered from your subconscious.
177
Because there's so much information around you at all times,
178
your conscious mind can't possibly process it all.
179
And so your unconscious mind and all your different body sensors
180
take in that information and basically strip it down to the most important stuff
181
before it's actually sent to the conscious mind to be made understandable.
182
Now, going back to the split faces,
183
for those of you who see the right hand version as more angry,
184
what does this mean?
185
Well, there's no perfect answer.
186
Old science might have said some people are more right-brained,
187
some people are more left-brained,
188
but that is a little outdated now.
189
You really use your whole brain for most activities,
190
despite some things being localized to different parts of your brain.
191
Chances are, it's just another reminder of how all of our brains are unique
192
and that the world as you know it may not be the same for other people.
193
If you want to learn more about left brain versus right brain science and more cool illusions,
194
Check out our latest Side Note podcast episode,
195
I'll link it here on screen and in the description,
196
or you can listen to it anywhere that you usually listen to podcasts.
197
Thanks so much for watching.
198
If you like these kind of videos,
199
give it a like and subscribe,
200
and we'll see you ASAP for some more science.
201
Peace.
Download App
AI scoring for every sentence you speak
TRENDING
Popular
About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will engage with various aspects of perception and emotion recognition as highlighted in the video "The Illusion that Broke the Internet." By exploring how visual and auditory stimuli influence our interpretations and decisions, you'll delve into the intricacies of human cognition. This content will help you improve your IELTS speaking practice skills by enhancing your ability to articulate thoughts clearly and effectively. Additionally, you will gain valuable insights that will aid in your overall English speaking practice through contextual understanding and vocabulary enrichment.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Perception - The process of interpreting sensory information.
- Cognition - The mental action of acquiring knowledge and understanding.
- Emotion recognition - Identifying and understanding emotional expressions.
- Cultural influence - The effect that culture has on an individual's thoughts and behaviors.
- Neurological processing - The way the brain processes information and stimuli.
- Visual field - The area that is visible to a person's eyes at any moment.
- Predictive processing - The brain's ability to predict incoming information based on previous knowledge.
- Spatial tasks - Tasks that involve understanding space and the position of objects.
Practice Tips
To effectively utilize this video for your shadowing practice, follow these tips:
- Watch and Listen: Play the video once to familiarize yourself with its content. Pay attention to the speaker's tone and pacing, which are crucial for maintaining natural speech rhythm.
- Repeat and Imitate: After viewing the segment, replay it and try to repeat what you hear. Focus on capturing the nuances in the speaker's voice, especially when discussing emotional recognition and cultural perceptions.
- Pause and Reflect: If a section feels too fast, pause the video. Reflect on the vocabulary used and try to use it in your own sentences as you practice speaking.
- Contextual Role-play: Use the scenarios discussed in the video about perception and emotion. Discuss these ideas with a friend or language partner, which helps in applying your learn English with YouTube skills in real conversations.
- Record Yourself: Use a recording device to capture your shadow speaking. This will help you identify areas for improvement and build confidence in your speaking abilities.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.
☕ Buy us a coffee
ShadowingEnglish remains 100% free thanks to your support. Server and AI costs are high — your coffee keeps us going! 🙏